(no subject)

[sythyry]

First Date, or not [25 Consimbs 4162]

I did my best to track Zanniajaia down the Dissection of Spells examination. I used cunning. I used a pack of mighty-nosed Cani. I used location spells. I used spies. I used (or abused) my connections in the City Guard. I used Prince Nestrune Kreslink, but he didn't help much. And whaddya know, I caught her.

Well, it wasn't that hard, though she did leave the examination a ninth of an hour before I did, and I did ask Narngi which way she had gone.

And we chatted about the examination for some short while. Mostly we agreed. There was one theoretical question about offworld magic (as seen from Vheshrame) -- I thought that it would be cryptic, and Zanniajaia thought it would be just as detectable as ordinary magic. We looked things up in some books. She's probably right, except in the case of offworld magic from demigods and such, which could get very confusing. I hope this question never ever becomes practical.

And then I asked her to join me for dinner at Ghu Navage Ghu.

And she said yes.

The yes!

Well, she actually said, "Sure, why not?"

Is that less enthusiastic? Or just an ordinary thing to say? [The translation is accurate; it could be either. -bb]

Is she traff?

How hard would it be to make a device that told whether people were traff without use of Mentador? (Um ... the very hard... I suppose you'd need to snoop back in time and read and interpret the whole life story. And that would only work if there was much evidence for it too. Very hard, and probably illegal.)

Aren't traff-folk supposed to get to recognize each other?

If there's a secret traff tail-wave, I wish someone would let me in on the secret...

Comments

[redbird]

Is there a specific traff scent, then?

That is, could one use this method to detect traffness on a traff person who had not recently had an interspecies relationship? (I think we can take as given that if, say, our noble Zi Ri had come directly from a pleasantly messy evening with an Orren, and not yet had the chance to bathe, it wouldn't take magic to detect that.)

Also, how specific? That is, if one were, say, a Herethroy interested in Rassimel, would this spell enable one to identify Rassimel who might reciprocate, as distinct from, say, a Rassimel who was looking for an Orren lover?

[vernononfm.livejournal.com]

No, it would be smelling for scents that are not from the owner. Specifically those from prime race that is different from that of the scent's wearer. And, even after bathing, a trace of the scent remains. So, with one that has been trained (preferably by a cani or sleeth) to detect the differences in scents, you would be able to tell what primes they were with recently.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

A good soapy bath will confound Cani, or so I hear. And lots of my friends smell like a Zi Ri has sat on their shoulder now and then, without ever having the pleasure of copulating with one.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Well... then you are looking for *copulating* scents...

Sex smells different than normal interaction, doesn't it?

[vernononfm.livejournal.com]

I shall also, then, have to do more research on how much scent is removed during bathing..

That's there the Mutoc Locodor comes in, to check different locations on one's body for the required scents. :) The scent of a Zi Ri on one's shoulder, but not in other locations, would certainly not indicate one's traffness.

[mazlynn.livejournal.com]

Ah, but then you would be detecting traff folks who are currently or quite recently in a relationship. And most people who would be most interested in this spell would be interested in being able to detect *available* traff folks, with the intention of making them unavailable. So such a spell would most likley miss many of the best candidates.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not all traff-folk will settle for just one lover, though I don't know anyone who has the full set of seven. I, personally, wouldn't mind skipping the Khtsoyis one.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Think about how much fun can be done with five different limbs, working at the same time! There would be plenty for both petting and, well, other stuff at the same time!

[redbird]

I think you're assuming a desire for monogamy, which is likely not to apply in this case.

Some of us, when we notice an available person, aren't interested in making zir unavailable, but in being involved with them.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's a specific traff scent. And sticking a spell's nose back in time to look from an interspecies affair is not so easy.

I hope Vernon's a very good wizard.

[redbird]

That's about what I thought. And I'm not sure how useful a spell to identify a prime of one species who already has, or recently had, a your-species lover would be. At least, not for purposes of finding potential dates.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Good point!

[vernononfm.livejournal.com]

Well, I happen to think it is a good idea. We shall just have to see how well it works out. *shrug*

[redbird]

Do let us know.

(I am not currently looking for more partners, of any species, so my interest is more academic than practical.)